Pumping system



J. OLIPHANT PUMPING SYSTEM Sept. 21

2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 3, 1921 Sept. 21 1926.

J. OLIPHANT v PUMPING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 5. l19.21

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 21, 19246.

UNITED STATES MTENTori-"1ct".`-vl

JOHN OLIPHANT, F

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COM'.- PANY, ACORPORATIO l Y I N 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

Appucauon nien November a, 1921.

My invention relates to pumping systems and more particularly to pumpingsystems of the displacement type.

An object of my invention isto p ovide an improved pumping system. Anoter object ofjmy invention is to provide an improved pumping system ofthe displacementtype. A further ob'ect of my invention 1s to provide animprove pumping system of the so-called displacement type especiallyadapted for use in wells of great depth. Other objects and advantages ofmy invention will appear in the course of the following specilicationand appended claims In the accompanying drawings, Il have shown'forpurposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume in'pract1ce.

In these drawings,- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation partially broken awayof my improved pumping system installed in a Well.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through a number of stages thereof.

t Fig. 3 is a transverse section on a plane corresponding to the line3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on a plane corresponding to the line4--4 of Fig. 6 and showing the valve in, intermediate position. A Fiv 5is an elevation of one form of controlling mechanism which may beemployed with my pumping mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view likewise in elevation of the same mechanism, the viewshowing the parts as if the entire mechanism were turned bod# ily abouta vertical axis through 90 degrees. Fig. 7 is` a plan view of themechanism shown in elevation in Fig. 5.

Fig. l8 is a vertical section taken on the broken line 8-8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a detail of the automatic air inlet` valve hereinafterdescribed.

In its illustrative prises a series of displacement chambers arrangedone above the other and ormed of aseries' of pipe sections securedbetween and connecting a number otl intermediate separatin members.chamfbers which are designated respectively 1, 2, 3 and 4, are arranged5 and the lowest member 1 is completely submerged as indicated` at 6..-As. the general detalls of construction of the several displacementchambers are the same,

form my invention com- The several displacementA in a well casing` Iwill del serial m. 512,602'.

scribe but one, selecting for my purpose the bottom chamber. Thiscomprises a cylindrical member 7 which is .closed at its lower end by ahead member 8 traversed by a ver-y tlcally extending passage 9 which isclosed at its top by a ball check valve 10 which may be unseated byinflowing liquid but which prevents the discharge of li uid therefrom.

discharge pipe 11 exten s from an upper head member 12 almostto thebottom of the chamber land is provided upon the head member 12, but inthe nextsucceeding cham'- ber 2 with a ball discharge check valve 18controlling a passage 14 which is a contin.

uation of the discharge pipe 11. This valve serves as the inlet valveofthe next higher chamber. A passage 15 permits the entry of a l'gaseousuid from erally similar to therefrom, in fact, only in that the bottomheads of these to the inlet check valve, sponding to the passage '1-5.For the purpose of supplying pressure era-l chambers to eect thedischarge of the liquid therefrom I arrange a pair of iuid pressureconductingl pipes 16 and 17, and of these pipes, pipe 16 suppliespressure simul-v taneously through the portsv 15 to, say,the first,third, and as many other odd-numbered chambers as there are, top of thewell, while Y pipe 17 supplies pressure ttf .the passages 15 in all theeven numbered chambers, counting from the to of the well. a For example,it will be not that the pipe 16 is supplying pressure to chambers 4and 2which are respectively the first and third chambers 'from' the top ofthe well, while vpipe 17 will supply pressure to chambers 3 and 1',respectively the second and fourth from the to of the Well. As it willbe evident that I the l'I0 fluid which is used to force the liqthechamber.l It will be under-T stood that the chambers 2, 3 and 4 aregenthe chamber 1, diiering chambers contain in addition a passagecorrefluid to the'sevo not intend to use number of chambers 'dependingupon the depth of the well from which material ,is to Abe pumped, itwill be understood that'otherl chambers may be arrangedat the 'to' and,bottom of the well and that additiona connections between the (pipe 16or 17 and these chambers can be lma e. AS it will be further evdent'that' in a deep Sell changes' in pressure are transmitted much moreslowly and with considerabl less intensity tothe extreme lower ends oiythe pipes 16 and 17, I have provided means, herein indicated.I at 18,19,20, and 21, consi ting of valves adapted to adjust the rate of air flowto the various assa es 15. The

e a justed tol effect the supply of air through the port 15 intovchamber 1 with a minimum choking action; the next to the bottom memberwill be adjusted to slightly cut down the freedom of'thetlow through theport 15 of the chamber 2. The member 19 will still further diminish thefiow area of the mouth of the passage 15 of chamber 3 and the member-18cooperating with chamber 4, which being nearest the compressor,

' hereinafter referred to more fully, receives of any other chamber.

vsuction side of the the greatest intensity of pressure variation, willbe `arranged -to close the passage 15 and chamber 4 more completely thanin the case It will be noted that these members 18 to 21 will delay boththe rate at which the chambers are discharged and the rate at which theair which has operated to discharge the pressure therefrom can flow outduring the filling ofthe tanks and so that the various chambers 1, 2, 3,and 4 will all require about the same amount of time to till and toempty. As to the members 18 to 21, it will be evident that if desiredbranch passages communicating with vthe chambers could be employed withsuitable check valves, one of the passages being used for the supply ofHuid to the chambers and the other for the exhaust, and thereby it wouldbe possible to obtain a closer adjustment if it were found desirable inview of the fact that adjustments which would be satisfactory factoryduring discharge, or vice versa. For the purpose of supplying air to theseveral chambers I have arranged a compressor 22 Whose discharge line 23leads to a valve casing 24 while the suction side of this'compressor isconnected by a line 25 with the 0pposite side of the casing 24. Meansfor sup-g plying air from outside the system to the compressor is alsoprovided at 82, as later described. The valve casing 24 is provided witha bore 26 within which a valve 27 is rotatable to control theconnections of the lines 16 and 17 with the lines 23 and 25. It will benoted that the line '17 communicates with the bore 26 by a port 28 andthat the pipe16 communicates with the bore 26 by a port 29. It will benoted that these ports are arranged at opposite sides of the axis of thevalve 27. The inlet or supply pipe 23 communicates with the 'casing orchamber 26 by a port 30, herein of a somewhat smaller flow area than theports 28 and 29, and the pipe 25 by a port 31 communicates likewise withthe chamber 26 opposite the port 30. The valve 27 is cut away bottommember 21 will during filling might not be satis-i through the port 62'-at opposite sides as indicated alt-32 and 33 in purpose of controllingthe movements of the valve 27 I employ 'a control mechanism which is theinvention. of one Hunter and which serves to automatically reverse theposition of the valve 27 at suitable intervals. This mechanism which isgenerally designated 50 comprises a pair of cylinders 51 and 52 ofWhichthe cylinder 51 is 'an operating cylinder and the cylinder 52adashpot cylinder. Within the cylinder lr'is reciprocable a piston 53 towhose upper end is attached'anv L-shaped crosshead 54 and which carriesabove t-he crosshead a weight 55. Air may be supplied to the cylinder 51by. way of aport 56 fro-m a pipe 57 controlled by an ordinary threewayvalve 58, hereinafter referred to more in detail. fithin the cylinder 52is -recip-- rocable a dashpot piston 59 connected by a rod 60 with thecrosshead 54 whereby the dashpot piston 59 and t-he actuating piston 53move simultaneously, the rate of movement ofthe actuating erncd by therate of .possible movement of the dashpot piston 59. To control themovements of the dashpotpiston 59 there is arranged in the Wall of` thecylinder 52 a longitudinally extending David H.

piston 53 being govport 61 which com-- by four ports, one arranged nearthe upper end of the cylinder and designated 62,' one arrangedsubstantially at the bottonr and designated 63, and a pair near themiddle of the cylinder separated by a shortdistance longitudinally ofthe cylinder, .and respectively-designated 64 and 65. An adjustablethrottling screw 66' is arranged in the portion of the passage 61 whichlies between the ports 64 and 65. It will be evident that the piston 59may move rapidly on its upward travel until the port 65 is covered andmust then move slowly as the liquid, herein oil, contained in thedashpot must be forced through the port 64 yand aroundA past thethrottling screw 66 and through the port 165v until after the port 64 1spassed and uncovered by the bottom of the piston 59 the piston and tllatthereafter may move rapidly, simplyl by passing the oil passage 61 andport 6 4. It will be evident that also on the downward movement of thepiston 59 it will move rapidlyadjacent each end of its travel and beretarded at the middle of its travel. The three-Way valve 58 previouslyreferred tov is adapted-to control the communication of a connection 67leading from the compressor, with the port 56 and in oneposition of saidvalve opens free communication between the line 67 and the port 56,while in another position it interrupts such communication of thedashpot piston Ul i phere.

As theA construction of such valve 'is well known, no illustration isbelieved crosshead 54, throughv a necessary, the ordinary T port,three-way valve being entirely satisfactory for this function.` Tocontrol the .movements of the valve 58 I have attached thereto an.operating lever 4or arm 68 tending arms, toone of which arms a spring69`is attached, and the other fof which arms is adapted to engage stops70 and 71 formed on guides 72 and 73 in which an actuating rod 74slides. To the -rod 74 the spring 69 is attached at 75. -The rod 74 isprovided with adjustable collars or abutments 76 and 77 which arealternately engageable by the hole in which the rod passes. It will beobserved that as the rod 74 is raised to its upper position, the

free end of the spring will pass abovethe longitudinal axis of the arm68 and that accordingly the valve 58'willbe sharply retravel of thecrosshead 54. It willversed from-the positionshown in Fig. 6 to aposition in which the supply .of fluid to the port 56 will be cut offandthe cylinder 51 vented. It will be noted that a similar mode ofoperation will occur upon the downward movement. of the rod 74 and thataccordingly the valve 58 has its position rapidly changed 4and/thatonly7 at the ends of the be noted that the valve 27 is provided with an0perating arm 78 tuating rod 79 having collars 80 and 81 securedtheretoand that the crosshead 54 also engages lthese Collars by reason of thefact that the rod 79 passes through an opening in thefcrosshead 54,

, .The mode of operation ofV this mechanism cause the reversing of the-valve 5 8. This will result in will be lreadily apparent. Assume thecontrol valve 58 to be in the position shown. Fluid 'under pressurepassing ,from the line 67 through thel valve 24, line 57 and port 56beneath the piston 53 will force the latter upward, the rate of upwardmovement being controlled by the possible rate of movement 59. When thepiston 53 has moved upward to a sufficient extent the crosshead 54 willengage the collar 81 and reverse the position of the valve 27. Thecrosshead 54 will likewise engage the collar 77 and at the extreme upperend 0 the desired movement the piston 53 will position of the thedownward movement of the piston 53 under the action of grlvity due toits own weight and the weight 55, and the crosshead 54 near the lowerend of its movement will shift the valve 27 in the opposite directionand will again shift the three-way valve 58 at the of the vp1ston 1s socontrolledby the dashof sufficient air to having oppositely ex vsystemto which is'pivoted an ac-fpot that the valve 27is maintained stationaryduring practically the entire period of fluid pressure supply to thepipes 23.

For the purpose of permitting the supply the'eompressor to fill onehalfof the tanks with air at a pressure requisite -to discharge the liquid,I have provided an automatic inlet valve 82 which valve, as best shownin Fig. 9, comprises simply an inwardly opening valve proper 83 normallyheld upon its seat 84 by `a spring 85 but operative to be opened byatmospheric pressure when the pressure in the compressor intake fallssubstantially below atmospheric and to admit air to the suction line ofthe compressor: This valve operatesA during the starting of the systemand thereafter opens only to admit air lost by leakage or by absorptioninthe water, etc. Means may be provided, as shown at 86, forpositivelyraising the valve 83 from its seat during the starting period of thesystem.

The mode of operation of my improved mechanism is as follows.: Assumethat the control mechanism occupies the sition shown in Figures 1 and 5(which is t e position which it will always occupy when the is shutdown) and that the compressor 22 is started. It will be understood thatlthe cylinder 1 will be initially filled with liquid as it is so disosed as to be substantially submerged .during normal pumping operation.The valve 83 will be opened wide before the compressor is set inoperation so as to allow the compressor to have a 'free-suction from theatmosphere and to refact, be so low in the creased and might, in

to render startportion below the valve 19 as ing very difficult. The oeration of the compressor will cause the uid entering the ipe 17 Atoexert a pressure on the surface of the li uid inchamber it upwardthrough pipe 11 and valve 13 into chamber 2. Byt e time the controlmechanism reverses the pxosition of .the valve 27, the liquid level in camber 2, dependingon various conditions, may stand at a few inches abovethe lower endof its discharge pipe 11 or may fill the tank to aconsiderable degree. When the valve 27 reverses. as stated, the pressurewill be supplied through pipe 16 to tanks 2 and 4 while tanks it beingevi- 'y 16 were connected to the' suction' thereon the pressure lin pipe17 would be much de 1 and will force 1 and 3 will be vented. Tank 1 willprompt: y

ly refill by gravity" and the liquid that was forced into tank 2 will bedischarged into tank 3. When the valve.27 next changes position, waterwill be raised to tank 4, and

so on until the entire system 1s 1n operation,

it being evident that the filling 'of succesiso . age there is anincrease of Ithe quantity of liquid which will enter the severalv tanks.When the system is under operation sufliciently to begin discharging,the valve 83 is allowed to close and the'operation'of the system isspeeded up dueto the suction on the filling tanks. The valve 83 willthereafter admit air automatically as needed to` keep the system full,but will not open', due to its spring 85,v unless the vacuum in thesuction sides of the system is greaterpthan a predetermined desiredlimit, which will be fixed by experiment for each syst-em so as tosecure the requisite Apressure on the discharging tanks. It will beevident that the work of the compressor will be greatly re.

duced as, when the valve 27 reverses, the air under full compressordischarge pressure that` has been forced'into the discharged tanks willflow quickly through the compressor and equalize the pressure in bothsidesof the system and enable a considerable economy in power. Toprevent loss of air during starting by escape through the finaldischarge pipe, the latter should be suitably loaded or closed duringthe starting period.

WVhi/ le I have in this application specilically described one formwhich my inven- .tion may assume in practice, it will be understoo hatthis -form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and thatthe in- 'vention may be modified and embodied in various other formswithout'de arting from its spirit or the scope of t 1e appended claims.

What I claim as newand by Letters Patent is:

d1. In a pumpingsystem, ai plurality of serially arranged displacementchambers, means connecting the bottom of each'of said desire to securenext prior to it, and means for supplying pressure to alternate ones ofsaid chambers and suction to the remainder during substantiallyn thelentire y respective, periods of discharge and filling, and thenreversing said supply and suction,^said latter means being initiallyautomatically controlled hy an intermittent flow of fluid from saidsystem.

2. In a pumping system, a series of superimposed displacement chambers,means for permitting discharge, from each of said chambers to that nextabove it while preventing back flow, a fluid conducting means lconnectedwith every other one of .said

chambers, a fluid conducting means connected with the remainingintermediate chambers, and means for alternately connecting said fluidconducting means with a source of pressure fluid and with a'reduccdpressure bemg. primarilytcantrolledby an intermitchambers, affluidnected with the remaining intermediate the connections between each of,

space,','said last mentioned means4 tent flow of fluid from said systemoperating to supply pressure to the emptying tanks substantiallythroughout their period of discharge and to maintain a suction upon saidfilling tanks during an `equal period.

3.- In a pumping' system, imposed `displacement chambers, means forpermitting discharge from ,each of said chambers to that next above itwhile preventing back flow, connected with every other one ofA saidconducting means conchambers, said fluid conducting means and each ofsaid chambers being valved, and means for alternately connecting saidfluid conducting means with the suction andv discharge sides of acompressor.A

4. In a pumping system, a series of superimposed displacement chambers,means for permitting discharge from each of said chambers to that nextabove it while prea' series of supera. fiuid conducting meansV ventingback flow, a fluid conducting means i connected with every other one ofsaid chambers, a fluid conducting means connected with the remainingintermediate chambers, and means for alternately connecting said fluidconducting means with the suction and discharge sides of a compressor,said means being initially controlled hy an intermittent flow ofpressure fluid from said system and operative independently of theconditions in said chambers and operating to supply pressure fluid tothe emptying tanks substantially throughout their period of discharge.

5. In a pumping system, a series of superimposed displacementechambe'rs,means for permitting Y discharge from each of said chambers to that nextabove it while preventing back flow, a fluid conducting means connectedwith every other one of said cha-mchambers with the lower portion ofthat i bers, a fluid conducting means connected with the remainingmtermediate chambers, means for permitting an adJustment of theconnections between said conducting means connected with every other oneof said chambers, a`fluid conducting means connected with.. theremaining intermediate chambers, means for adjusting the connectionbetween each fluid conducting means and each of the chambers to which itis connected, means for alternately connecting said fluid conductingmeans with' a source of pressure fluid and "with `al reduced pressurespace, and

imposed displacement chambers, means for.

permitting discharge from each of said chambers to that next above itWhile preventing back flow, a fluid conducting means connected withevery other one of said chambers, a fluid conducting means connectedwith the remaining intermediate chambers, means for alternatelyconnecting-said fluid conducting means with a source of pressure l fluidand with a r-educed pressure space, and

means for automatically, permitting the admission of air to the suctionside of such compressor from the atmosphere when a predetermined vacuumis reached, said means being manually controllable to effect aconstantly open 'connection when desired.

8. A pumping mechanism comprising a displacement chamber adapted to bedisposed Withinia Well and having a fluid inlet port, and means disposedadjacent said inletfor varying the supply of fluidthereto.

9. A pumping mechanism comprising' a plurality of alternately operabledisplacement chambers adapted to be disposed within a Well each havingan inlet port forcenducting fluid thereto, and means for vary` ing theflow area 4of each of said inlets. y

10. A pumping mechanism comprising a plurality of alternately operabledisplace ment chambers adapted to be disposed within a Well each havingan inletfor supplying fluid thereto, and means for varying the flow areaof each of said inlets to control the rate of discharge from saidchambers independently of the pressure of the actuat-` ing fluid. l-

11. A pumping mechanism comprising a plurality of fluid displacementtanks each aving an inlet, a common supply line for said tanks, andmeans for Varying the flow of fluid from said line toeach of saidinlets.

12. A pumping mechanism comprising a displacement' tank adapted tol bedisposed Within awell and having an inlet, a supply pipe therefor, andanadjustable screw disposed adjacent said inlet for controlling the flowof fluid to said tank.

13. In a pumping system, a plurality of displacement tanks, andmeanswhereby ac-` tuating fluid is delivered to each of the same at differentpressures soy as to insure that certain similar operations of said tankswill be substantially uniform.

14. In a pumping system,

a plurality *of displacement tanks,and means whereby actuating fluid isdelivered to each of the same 4cooperating displacement pressure fluidsupply pipe therefor from` -ing fluid so that at different pressures soas to insure that the` lenvth of time to discharge eachA of said tanIrswill be'substantially the same.

15. In a pumping system, a plurality of displacement tanks, a singlesource of 'actuating fluid therefor,'means for vdelivering actuatingfluid from said source to each of said tanks, and means whereby saidfluid is adapted to discharge the tanks substantially uniformlyindependently of varying pressure of the fluid delivered.

16. In a pumping system, a plurality of displacement tanks differentlyspaced from a 'source of actuating fluid, a single source of actuatingfluid for said tanks, and means whereby actuating fluid from said sourceis delivered 4to each of said tanks at a pressure different from that atsaid source determined so as to insure that certain similaroperations'of said tanks ,will be substantially uniform. i 1 17. In apumping system, a yplurality of superimposed displacement tanks adaptedto be disposed Within a Well, means for supplying actuating fluidthereto, and means adapted to compensate for the decreasing pressure ofthe actuating fluid as it descends so as to insure that certain similaroperations' of said tanks will be substantially uniform.

18. In a pumping system, a plurality of superimposed displacement' tanksadapted to be disposed Within a Well, pressure fluid conducting meansassociated -ther1 =,\vit.h,.the pressure 0f fluid therein beingdifferent at dif- -ferent points, and means adapted to compensate forthe different pressures of said' fluid so as to insure thatcertainsimilar operations -of4 said tanks Will be substantially uniform.f

19. In a pumping system, a plurality of tanks, a. common which saidtanks successively draw actuatsaid pressure fluid delivered to each ofsaid tanks will be different, and means adapted to compensate for thesedifferent pressures so as to insure that certain similar ope-rations ofsaidtanks will be substantially uniform.

20. In a pumping system, a plurality of superimposed displacement tanks.adapted tov be disposed within a Well. means for supplying .actuatingfluid thereto for' discharging fluid therefrom, and means wherebyl thedischarge from said tanks requires -a substantially uniform length oftime. p

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature.V

JOHN OLIPH'ANT.

